Director’s update

Wow – what a start to 2017. A new Federal Health Minister, a new NSW Premier subsequently followed by a new NSW Health Minister, and a controversial US President who is already creating waves, including in the public health space.

For the Prevention Centre, this is a critical year in other ways as well. Sometime (soon I hope) we will learn of the proposed future funding model for the NHMRC.

The NHMRC is also conducting its own review of partnership centres and this will inform the likelihood of a potential second round of funding for these centres.

A lot of people have now invested time and intellectual capital in the Prevention Centre and, for many employed on our projects, there is an uncertainty from not knowing what comes next. It is frustrating to see where we have come from while not being able to see a clear way forward at this point.

However, I also believe that our aims and objectives – around demonstrating the value of preventing chronic disease and finding how prevention of chronic disease can be improved – are fundamentally critical for Australians’ better health.

So I enter this year determined that we will continue on with our mission and that we will do our best to see that our work continues to be supported. I look forward to sharing these exciting times with you.

Welcome to the Prevention Centre’s blog, which features comment about key issues in the prevention of chronic disease as well as systems thinking for prevention. We welcome your comments on the blog (please read our comments policy here). If you would like to write an article for the blog, please contact the Prevention Centre’s Senior Communications Officer Helen Signy.